Govt to cut post-grad teaching apprenticeships from 12 to 9 months

The government has announced that it will cut the duration of postgraduate teaching apprenticeships (PGTA) from 12 to nine months, aligning to the school year and getting newly trained teachers into the classroom sooner. 

Courses currently run from September to September, meaning trainees typically have to wait months before kicking off their careers, and making it challenging for schools to support apprentices while training.  

The change will be made from August this year and is expected to open up more opportunities to train to teach, as well as accelerating trainees’ journeys to the front of the classroom. 

The PGTA has seen a 58% growth over the past few years, showing how popular the offer is, giving participants the chance to earn while they learn and gain hands-on experience in the classroom. 

Courses will still offer the same high-quality content but at a reduced length with trainees gaining Qualified Teacher Status after they have completed the programme, going on to build careers in teaching.  

More than 1,400 people trained to teach via this route this year, but demand for places currently far outstrips supply, with around 2,800 eligible applicants last year unable to secure a place on a coveted course.

The change supports the government’s drive through its Plan for Change to recruit an additional 6,500 expert teachers, and follows early progress on teacher recruitment, with over 2000 more people training to become secondary school teachers this year, alongside a 25% boost in the proportion set to begin training in shortage STEM subjects. 

Schools minister Catherine McKinnell said: “Recruiting and keeping high-quality teachers in our classrooms is the single biggest driver of high standards in schools, which is why our Plan for Change has a clear commitment to recruit an additional 6,500 expert teachers by the end of this Parliament. 

“Our schools are crying out for more expert teachers, and this government will continue to pull every lever it can to plug the gaps and build on the green shoots we are already seeing. 

Bringing teaching apprenticeships in line with the school year is not only logical, it will open the doors for more and more people to become brilliant teachers, shaping the lives of the next generation.” 

The government is offering schools up to £28,000 to cover the cost of training apprentices in mathematics, biology, chemistry, physics, computing, and modern foreign languages – the subjects which have the highest teacher shortages. This means apprentices pay nothing for their training and will earn a salary while they are training before moving on to full time teacher pay. 

The apprenticeship changes build on wider steps the government is already taking to support teacher recruitment and retention, including last summer’s 5.5% pay award and a targeted retention incentive, worth up to £6,000 after tax for early career teachers working in shortage subjects. 

National Institute of Teaching Executive Director of Programmes, Reuben Moore, said: “The potential of teacher apprenticeships is significant, strengthening routes into the profession and helping to reach a range of candidates from a diverse range of backgrounds in hard-to-recruit areas where teachers are needed most.  

“The hands-on learning offered alongside critical reflection through the apprenticeship route means that trainees can become fully qualified teachers in less time, without compromising on the quality of teaching or educational outcomes.

He continued: “We welcome the government’s efforts on removing barriers to this important training route, not only focusing on its impact but the opportunity to grow it further and help ensure that all children have access to an excellent education.”